A drug addict who earned nearly £100,000 from dealing spent it on his habit – leaving less than two per cent to be confiscated by police.

Jamie Nicola, 41, of Staverton Road, Whitley, was jailed for 18 months in April but has already been released after time spent on remand.

He appeared at Reading Crown Court on Monday for a confiscation hearing.

But Sandra Beck, prosecuting, told the court although Nicola had made £99,299.95 from his dealing the only available amount found after his release was £1,510.95.

Mrs Beck said: “When the investigation took place, there were a further two sums of money in his bank account, but that has long since gone.”

Carpenter Nicola was stopped by police in Reading on July 17 last year and found to be in possession of three ecstasy pills.

He was granted bail but two weeks later officers found 122g of amphetamines worth more than £10,000 at his home.

CCTV cameras filming the entrance to his house were also seized, along with weapons, digital scales caked with amphetamine and 147g of cannabis.

He was later charged with one count of possessing Class A drugs, one count of possessing three ecstasy tablets and one count of possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply.

Nicola denied the charges but later admitted them when due to stand trial on March 12.

At the time of his sentence, Adam Crook, defending, said: “The time spent on remand has had a profound effect upon my client as he has a 22-month-old daughter who he has not seen in more than six months.

“He was dealing the drug to reinvest money to fund his own habit.”

Nicola had failed to attend the listed hearing on Friday, October 3, and claimed a punctured tyre made him half an hour late for his hearing on Monday.